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I have a 1991, 26-foot Fleetwood Class C with a Dometic refrigerator. I have just noticed a strong ammonia odor when I opened the freezer door with the refrigerator in the off position. I expect that this is NOT normal. Can you tell me what's wrong and what I am faced with? -- Gary Collier Dear Gary, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but unfortunately you have a leaking cooling unit which renders the refrigerator inoperable. The entire cooling unit will have to be replaced. Not an uncommon occurrence, cooling unit tubing can become oxidized due to moisture entrapment and a rupture or crack in the piping results, thereby releasing the ammonia. If the leak point is situated at or near an exposed section of tubing at the rear of the refrigerator, a bright yellow residue is usually visible. Chances are the leak is in a section of tubing hidden by insulation and you may not actually see it, but any indication of an ammonia smell confirms a leak indeed. Typically, service centers replace this cooling core with a refurbished unit, sending the damaged unit back to the supplier to be repaired, recharged and placed back into inventory. The entire replacement can take anywhere from two to four hours to complete. Cooling units cannot be repaired in the field -- they must be replaced. Not an inexpensive venture, often times RV owners must contemplate a complete refrigerator upgrade versus the cooling unit replacement. It depends on the age of the refrigerator and how fond you are of your existing unit. On units around eight years or older, seriously consider a complete refrigerator replacement. You will have a new unit warranty and all new parts. With a cooling unit replacement only, the original components are still aged and non-warrantable. It just may be time to visit your nearest Camping World Store and peruse the new models available. I sure wish I had better news, but ammonia leaks do happen. Gary Bunzer, The RV Doctor, is a well known RV author and the host of RV Roadtrips, the DIY Network cable television show. He is one of the RV industry's most sought after speakers and the host of the popular DVD Do It Yourself RV Care. Top of Page Get your FREE RV Travel Newsletter every week - sign up now.
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